


Beyond The Stars

by PostApocolypticAlien



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Field Trip, First Dates, Gen, and scully misses it again, sitting on a field and watching ufos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22615420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PostApocolypticAlien/pseuds/PostApocolypticAlien
Summary: It's a college au. Mulder and Scully are on a field trip to see stars but of course that's not why Mulder is there.
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> I read over this one and fixed mistakes, are you proud of me? This would arguably exist in the same universe as Photos of You. You don't have to read it to read this one but I love that fic and I want everyone else to love it to so read it anyway

Would he be lying if he said he took this class for any educational value? Yes. 

There were, however, two very good reasons why he made this decision. Numero Uno being; Scully was also in this class. Number Two; Frequent trips to big, open spaces.

Mulder wasn’t interested in looking at stars, more interested in what was around and beyond the stars.

And Scully knew this…if the look she was giving him now was anything to go by.

So he throws his own look back, an innocent, toothy smile.

And she rolls her eyes.

Does he expect anything less? Nope.

He’s tying his shoelaces when a shadow is cast over him. 

“I hope you’re not getting any ideas about this trip, Mulder.” 

He looks up to see Scully above him. Tying the knot, Mulder shrugs, “They practically brought this on themselves, Scully.” Tightening the lace, he stands, “They chose a place that just so happens to have a field for frequent UFO sightings nearby.”

Scully’s head falls back and her eyes shut in exasperation. “Mulder…” she huffs to the sky, “Promise me you won’t use this trip as an excuse to watch spaceships fly.”

Mulder just smiles, picking up his backpack and slinging it over his shoulders. 

“Come on,” he says, tugging on her arm. “We don’t want to fall behind.”  
Since the stars only come out at night the trip was an overnight job. Two nights, actually. The weather forecast had predicted clear skies for their first night but it was always good to have a backup night, too.

Anyway, this meant dorms, rooms, cabins- whatever you want to call them- and, of course, the cabins were sorted by sex; boys with boys and girls with girls which Mulder had pouted at first until he got news that his roomie caught the flu and had to miss out, his cabin was free. In response to Mulder’s suggestive eyebrow raise when he found out, Scully had certifiably said no but Mulder was still hoping.

During the day they were left to their own devices; lunch would be served at 12, dinner at 6 and then, as soon as the sun began setting, off they would go to the clearing to look at stars. Between that time, they could nap or explore (within the perimeter, they were told) or there was a games room they could stay in. Mulder had no care for any of it. It was relatively warm so he sat outside, headphones in, bag of sunflower seeds at his side and his Best Spots For UFO Sightings book open on the page were they where at. 

The field wasn’t too heavily guarded, the book told him. Officials occasionally scoured the place but it was nothing serious. Stoner Steve had told him of the broken fence that people used to get in and well, if it was that serious then that broken fence would’ve been fixed, wouldn’t it?

He felt a poke on his shoulder and turned towards it. Scully stood behind the log he was currently resting against, fingers tangling together and staring at the book in his hands.

“You’re going to that field tonight, aren’t you?” 

He took an earphone out and sighed, “Look Scully, when’s the next time I’m going to get a chance like this?” 

She bites her lip and sits down on the log, crossing her arms over her body. “I thought you liked space.”

Mulder laughs, thinking about his space themed pencils and planet posters that he still has in his bedroom. “I do,” he says, looking down at the grass. “But I can see stars from anywhere, this,” he waves the book lightly, “is a one time thing.” 

Scully nods, about to say something before Mulder cuts her off. “And I’m not expecting you to come with me this time. I’m sure Reyes can’t wait to tell you the name of every star and constellation you see tonight.” 

They both glance over to the girl, who stands awkwardly a few feet away from them. Since finding out and she and Scully were sharing a room, Reyes hadn’t stopped bothering them with little titbits about horoscopes and other astrology related stuff. Her obsession could arguably put Mulder to shame when presented side by side. 

Scully smiles a little, yet her hands still fiddle together, an indication to Mulder that she’s still nervous about something.

“I just want you to be safe,” she tells him, concern for him evident in her eyes.

Mulder reaches up, nudging her reassuringly on her arm. “I’ll be fine,” he says, having little concern for himself. “This place is harmless, people go there all the time.”

It seems to calm her worries.

He’s had a plan from the start: stay with the class for an hour or so then gradually wander off. He doubts his absent will be noticed by the majority but he also plans to be back before the night ends.

Repacking his bag, he stuffs it full of the things he needs; his camera, snacks and a blanket. He also reties the string Scully gave him a few months ago around his wrist again- a good luck charm of sorts though he knows Scully would just roll her eyes at the notion. 

He’ll miss her not being there with him, he thinks. Since this…thing…between them had began she’d been something of a companion to him, a partner in his quest to find the truth. Many a night had she stayed up till 3am listening to him go on a rant about how the government was hiding this or that bee-pollen yogurt she’d had for breakfast this morning was a big massive lie to get her to think it was actually good for her. She had come back at him with some very strong arguments against his claims that were good enough to throw him off path and even spread doubt in his beliefs but it just made him fight harder.

He wondered what arguments she’d have for anything unexplainable he’d see tonight. If she was coming with him, what would she say? How would she explain away the thing she was seeing before her?

Near enough ready, he tosses his bag on his back and leaves the cabin.

It comes as no surprise that Scully is waiting for him outside it, her camera hanging around her neck.

“So when do we go?” she asks.

At first Mulder’s puzzled as to what she’s on about- they’re going now, he thinks- but then it dawns on him what she means. Mulder shakes his head, a smile forming, “What about Reyes?” he asks.

Scully turns and Mulder follows her eyeline. On the log sits Reyes, a book open in her lap as she, very animatedly, tries to explain something astrology related to a boy who- if his head in his hands is any indication- looks like wants to be anywhere but here right now.

“I think she’s good,” Scully says, turning back to him.

Mulder giggles at the scene. “We’ll stick with the class for a bit then we’ll go,” he tells her.

It’s a clear night just as the weather forecast said it would be which pleases Mulder greatly. If he can see the stars, he can see the spaceships. He tries to pretend that nothing is amiss; takes his photos, names the constellations he sees but he’s constantly checking his watch. An hour he’d told himself but 30 minutes in and he’s ready to go.

He looks over to Scully who is doing the same as he is; taking the photos and naming the stars. With a glance towards the teacher who is distracted, Mulder walks over to Scully.

“You ready?” he whispers.

She checks her watch, “Now?” she asks. “I thought you said an hour.”

He’s practically jumping with excitement, unable to contain it, a sudden worry that it might get cloudy soon and he’ll miss his chance. 

“An hour, half an hour, what’s the different?” 

Scully chuckles slightly. She places her camera around her neck and gives her own peek towards the teacher. “Let’s go, then.”

Nobody notices them leaving, and if they do, they stay nothing. Taking out the homemade map from his pocket, Mulder follows it away from the class and through the trees. The leaves block the moon and he begins wishing he’d thought to bring a torch with him when he was ‘packing the essentials’, a stupid move on his part. Suddenly overcome with the worry of losing Scully, he grabs her hand with his free one, holding on tight. The action startles her a bit but she soon settles into him.

“How much further?” she asks a little later.

Mulder looks to the map, then ahead. If he (and Frohike) are right, it should be through these trees.

“Just through here,” he says. He bats a branch that obscures his view out of the way and it opens up into a clearing he can see ahead. A fence wraps its way around the field and just in front he spies the broken part.

They head towards it. Mulder climbs through first before pushing the wiring out of the way so Scully can get through mostly unscathed. 

“So this is your field you’ve been so anxious to see,” she says, a humorous glint shining in her eyes. 

“Yep,” Mulder answers as they walk to what he decides is the middle of the field. 

He stops, taking his bag off his shoulders and opening it up. 

“And what if you don’t see anything tonight?” Scully asks.

He takes out the blanket, flattening it out on the grass and sitting himself upon it. 

Mulder shrugs, “Then I don’t see anything.” He pats the space beside him. “Sit, we’re gonna be here for a while.” 

Scully sits, crossing her legs as she does so.

Mulder lets out a deep breath, looking up towards the sky. A breeze drifts across them and out of his peripheral he sees Scully shiver. She hadn’t been so practical tonight, her clothing consisting of shorts and a T-shirt. Unbothered by the cold, Mulder takes off his alien sweatshirt and holds it out towards her.

“Take it, you’re freezing,” he says.

“I’m fine.”

He doesn’t take that for answer and pushes it further towards her. “Put it on.”

Giving in, she takes it out of his hands and puts it on.

“Better?” he asks.

Scully nods, covering her hands with the two-big sleeves. 

He turns back to the sky, “Looks better on you anyway,” he says. All his clothes would look better on her, he thinks.

They grow quiet, the only sounds are the breeze and the distant sound of traffic and their breathing. It doesn’t take Mulder long before he’s rummaging through his bag and pulling out his seeds.

“You hungry?” he asks, dinner wasn’t that long ago so he doesn’t expect her to be.

“Somehow I don’t think sunflower seeds will fill me up,” he says.

“Better than bee pollen yogurts for breakfast,” he throws a shell to the side, missing Scully’s look.

“It has nutritional value,” she says, pointedly.

“It’s a scam, Scully.” 

“Sure. Fine. Whatever,” she throws back to him and then she’s yawning.

“Tired?”

“No. What else have you got in this bag?” She moves the backpack closer to her and pulls out his book. 

He tears his gaze from the sky and watches her turn it over. The book his handmade, the book’s title handwritten across the page. 

“Who wrote this?” Scully asks.

“Frohike.”

She rolls her eyes and huffs, “Of course he did,” placing the book down.

She yawns again and Mulder watches as she shuffles about on the blanket before laying down and trying to get into a comfortable position. A lazy, happy smile flitters across Mulder’s face at the sight. She’s adorable.

“You’re tired.” It’s not a question.

She lets out a quiet hum in response and adjusts her head on her arms, eyes shut.

Mulder ponders for a moment, looking at her trying to get comfortable, before he shifts himself. 

“Come here,” he says, wrapping his hands around her body and tugging her towards him. A bit of manoeuvring and finally her heads resting in his lap, her hand against his leg and his hand running up and down her arm. 

He moves both hands to her hair, taking out the hair tie and letting his hand smooth through her hair repeatedly, a soothing motion that has her relaxing, snuggling deeper against him.

Mulder looks back up to the sky, watching, waiting, whilst his hand and fingers do their own thing. 

He smiles to himself, a thought crossing his mind as he looks back down at the sleeping person lying on him in the middle of a field. 

“Hey Scully,” she shifts a little. “It’s our first date and you’re not even awake for it,” he teases. Barely a sound comes out of her.

Laughing to himself, Mulder looks back up to the sky when a ball of light flicks across the darkness. His smile fades as he watches, hand stilling in Scully’s hair. She protests, moving her own head to perhaps get his fingers moving again but Mulder is awestruck; watching as one, two, three, four balls of lights dance in the sky. 

“Scully…” he says, not looking away. “You need to see this.”

She moans a little, her head moving upwards. 

“Scully,” he says again watching the lights move in unexplainable ways. “You’re missing it.”

“I see it,” she mumbles sleepily, eyes falling shut again.

Mulder breathes out as the lights disappear as quickly as they came. 

He saw it…he realises as he looks away from the sky, trying to process it.

As he looks a little down the field another light catches his eye. Large, white, and around. Mulder narrows his eyes, trying to see. A figure emerges from the bushes, the light bouncing around, until its beam lands directly on him and Scully, illuminating them in the darkness.

A cry of ‘Hey!’ has Mulder furiously trying to wake Scully as dread pulses through his body.


	2. Part II

She’s never been inside an interrogation room before.

There’s something intimidating about it; the bright lights, the one way mirror along the back, metal table, only one door.

She feels like an insect under a microscope, ready to be picked apart and analysed.

She guesses that’s exactly what’s about to happen.

The door opens and the officer casually walks into the room. Scully watches him; he pays no mind that she’s there, just picks at his nails and places his coffee cup down. It unsettles her even further.

She tries not to let it show though, resisting the urge to pick at the skin around her nails. Instead, she looks beyond the officer to the mirror and sees herself staring back. She looks tired, it’s the first thing she notices. She’d been abruptly woken up by Mulder frantically telling her they needed to go. She’d had seconds to assess the situation from the light of a torch, a man’s voice telling them to stay where they were, the loud sounds of helicopters above them, swirling the wind around them.

She’d been running then, holding onto Mulder’s hand, trying to keep up. They’d made it to the trees before she lost her grip and Mulder was gone from her. She’d screamed for him, calling his name over and over again but she couldn’t hear anything above the wind and the lower branches had swished and swayed in her ear around her.

She wore the consequence of the swishing and swaying trees, a gash across her face that still hurt even now was present and in all the confusion and pain that’s where the guard had caught up to her and she was pulled away and place in this room.

The officer sits, takes a slip of coffee, and finally notices her.

“So,” he says, placing the cup back down. “You like aliens?”

He was trying to be casual, friendly, an act. Scully looks away, trying desperately hard not to roll her eyes. She was still wearing Mulder’s stupid sweater he’d insisted on giving her to wear with its big stupid green alien head on it.

“Now, I have just some routine questions,” the officer says, understanding that he wasn’t going to get a response out of her about the sweater. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” 

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Mulder sits in a diner off the side of the road. Tucked in the corner in the furthest booth, his chocolate milkshake left forgotten to the side, completely overwhelmed with worry.

Where was Scully?

He shouldn’t have gone without her, why did he do that? 

They’d been separated. Her hand was in his and then it wasn’t and then she was gone and then he couldn’t hear anything.

He tried calling for her, shouting her name over and over again but the wind has been so loud and the helicopters had been right above him.

Why were there even helicopters?

Frohike promised him the place was barely guarded, that no one cared about it but there had been a guard and there had been helicopters and now he’d lost Scully.

He places his head in his hands, waiting to repeatedly bash his head against something hard for being a complete asshole.

“Just so you know we’re shutting in fifteen minutes,” the waitress calls from the counter. “Is there anyone you’d like me to call?”

Mulder shakes his head that are still in his hands. The only person left to call was currently missing.

He’d done it again.  
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Being driven home in a police car. That was reserved for Missy back in high school when she had been caught smoking weed with her friends in a field one time. Never Dana.

Yet here she was, being escorted up the steps by the officer who had just driven her home.

She winces at the sound of the knocker against the door, loud enough to wake the entire street. 

But she cringes more at the faint sound of footsteps down the stairs, the flick of the hall light and her father standing bewildered at the front door.

Scully looks to the ground and shuffles her feet.

“Sorry to disturb you at this hour,” the officer says. “but your daughter was found trespassing on private land.”

Her father looks like he’s about to murder her right there.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

She wants to go to bed.

Well, firstly she wants to make sure that Mulder is okay but she has no way to do that until tomorrow so now she just wants to go to bed.

“I am really sorry about this,” the officer says as her father leads him to the door. “I know it’s only kid’s stuff but we have to treat this stuff as seriously as the others.”

Bill nods, “No, no, I understand. The law is law after all.”

“Well, exactly. I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience tonight.”

Bill shakes his head one final time before saying goodbye to the officer.

Scully stands in the living room doorway, biting at her nails. Her stomach drops when the front door is slammed shut, shaking the house.

She waits for her father to say something, feeling like she did in that interrogation room.

“I thought you were on a school trip,” her father finally says, turning to face her.

“I was,” Scully says.

“So what was all this trespassing business?”

Scully thinks for a moment, working out how best to word this. She could be honest, say she was looking out for UFOs but somehow she doesn’t think that explanation would stick well with her father.

“We just went into there to look at…stuff.” 

“We?” her father misses nothing.

Scully hesitates. “Me and…Mulder.”

Her father scoffs, shaking his head. “Mulder…” he says, spitting the name out. “You’ve changed since you met him.”

Scully frowns, wondering about what part of her has changed. She grew up. Was that really such a hard concept for her parents to understand? They didn’t seem to mind it when it happened to Billy and Missy.

“Did you think you could impress him by jumping over a fence?” 

“What? No,” Scully rebukes, pulling a face.

“You don’t seem to care about anything anymore. Not about your studies, your family. Just him.”

It was 3am and all Scully wanted to do was go to bed to forget this night ever happened. This was all getting out of hand.

“It isn’t like that,” she tells him.

“Then what is it like?” he asks, his voice rising and Scully spares a thought to her mother and Charlie upstairs asleep like normal people. “You explain it to me, then.”

Fed up and her face hurting, Scully shakes her head, beginning to make her way up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” her father asks, incredulous.

“To bed,” Scully huffs.

“We’re not done here.” 

Ignoring, she keeps climbing the stairs.

“Dana…”

There was a time when her name said like that but make her crumble, tell her that she was in big trouble but now, at nineteen years old, it does nothing.

Her father realises that too.

“Fine. We’ll continue this conversation in the morning.”

Scully nods and proceeds the rest of the way to her room to sleep.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Mulder wakes up at a bus stop bench. 

His head’s sore, his arms ache, his eyes can barely open. He has no idea where he is.

Events of last night come back to him; the trip, the field, the helicopters, losing Scully, sitting in a diner.

So it wasn’t a dream.

He swings his legs off the bench and glances a look at the old woman who waits at the bus stop, too. Mulder smiles, she throws him a dirty look. 

He needs to find Scully, make sure she’s okay. He didn’t mean for them to get separated, it just sort of happened…he doesn’t know. Where could she have gone? Back to the camp? Home? He doesn’t have a clue.

He guess he could find a phone box, call her house, see if she went home. Yeah…yeah, that’s what he’ll do. 

Certain, Mulder stands, fishing around in his pocket for loose change as the bus pulls up beside the curb.

.:.:.:.:.:.

Scully pushes her cereal around in her bowl, decidedly less hungry then she had been when she made the decision to have breakfast. She keeps her eyes averted but listens to the conversation her father has on the phone.

“Yeah, she’s safe home now…No, I haven’t found out why she left the group…Maybe it could have been planned, I don’t know, I can try and get- … No, he wasn’t with her…He’s missing? Well, I hope they find him…”

They’re talking about Mulder, Scully realises her.

She tries listening some more but Bill seems to walk further away from the kitchen and Charlie slurps his milk loudly.

“Will you stop that?” she says, more harshly than she intended to.

Charlie pulls the bowl away, remnants of milk all around his face.

“What?”

Scully turns away in disgust.

“What happened to your face?”

Scully ignores him. She doesn’t know what’s made her so angry today. Maybe it’s worry for Mulder, maybe it’s because she got little sleep last night despite how tired she felt. Either way, she shouldn’t be taking it out on her brother.

“I thought you were on a trip all weekend.”

Scully pushes the bowl away. “I was. I came home.”

Charlie eyes the bowl. “You not eating that?”

She pushes the bowl towards him and Charlie begins devouring it just as her father walks back into the room.

“That was your professor on the phone,” he tells her and Scully knew as much. “He wants to see you in his office on Monday.”

She knew that much, too. There was no escaping this from any angle.

With a hum of acknowledgement, she’s about ready to leave this room and worry about Mulder for next 48 hours.

“Where are you going?” her father calls to her. “I still haven’t found out what you were doing in the field.”

“What was she doing in the field?” Charlie pipes up, ever nosy and curious about the lives of others. 

Scully stops on the first step, sighing. What did it matter anymore? The damage was done and Mulder was missing. Who cares about the stupid field.

On a whim she tells the truth.

“I was looking for UFOs, happy?”

In the time that her father stands confused, Scully uses it as her moment to escape. She’ll deal with his questions about that later.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Yes, Dana’s fine…No, you don’t need to come round…She’s home, she’s safe, that’s all that matters…

Scully perks up at the sound of her name. Her father’s muffled voice seeping through the spaces in her door. The film she’d barely been watching forgotten, she moves closer, opening the door slightly to hear more.

“Look, maybe it’s best if you didn’t come round here again…I know, but Dana needs to focus on her work and, quite frankly, you’re just proving to be a distraction for her…I know you don’t and I’m sorry, Fox, but this is what’s best for her…Thank you for understanding it.” 

She hears the phone be placed down and retreats back into her bedroom.

She sighs in relief as she climbs back onto her bed. Mulder’s okay. She lays back down on her pillow, wraps her hands around her sleeves and nuzzles into Mulder’s sweater, pretending it was Mulder.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Maybe he was an idiot.

Maybe he just had a death wish.

Mr Scully had practically ordered him to stay away from his house yet here he was, standing on his lawn, right under his daughter’s- who he was supposed to be staying away from, might he add- window.

But he just needed to see her. To know that she really was okay and to explain that he really didn’t mean to lose her.

So he throws a stone at her window, carefully aiming for the right one…

And she’s there, pushing up her window and peering out.

And she’s still wearing his sweater.

“Hey,” he says, smiling. The relief at physically seeing her fills him up and he can’t stop smiling.

“You’re okay,” she says down to him and he can’t help but laugh; he worries about her while she’s worrying about him.

He sees her look behind her then notices a knee climbing higher. 

“I’ll come down,” she tells him.

“No, I don’t want to get you in trouble. I tried ringing before and your dad answered, I shouldn’t even be here now.”

She doesn’t listen and climbs down anyway.

“I know,” she says just as she reaches the floor. “I heard him.”

Now that she’s within arm’s reach, Mulder pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her, thankful that nothing serious happened to her.

She seems to share the same sentiments; her own smaller arms clutching him to her and she nuzzles her nose into his chest. What he’d do to be able to spend the rest of the night with her. 

“I’m sorry I lost you,” he says into the top of her head.

“It’s okay, I should be used to you ditching me by now.”

He laughs slightly. “Well, this time I really didn’t mean it.”

They pull away and that’s when he sees the cut across her face. 

“What happened?” he asks, turning her face to get a better look.

She tugs his hands away, lacing them into her own. “Trees,” she says with a slight smile.

Mulder smiles, too, thinking about the stupid trees that made them get separated in the first place.

He pulls her to him again, holding her closely once more. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” 

She hums against him and they just stand there, holding each other for another moment or so before she pulls away again.

“I dunno if you know but we have a meeting with the field trip professor on Monday.”

He smiles a half smile. “Sorry I got you in trouble again,” he says.

Scully shrugs, “Technically I got myself in trouble. I didn’t have to go.” 

He supposes he can accept half the blame.

She leans closer into him, smiling mischievously. “You do, however, still owe me a date.”

He should’ve known he wasn’t going to get out of this one.

“Because the first one wasn’t thrilling enough?”

She shrugs, “You weren’t there for most of it.”

That’s true, so he thinks, then remembers.

“You know, I found a little diner not far from that field. It is a bus ride away, though.”

She seems to be contemplating it then shakes her head.

“I was hoping you could ask Frohike if there were any more fields we could break into.”

Mulder laughs, ever surprised by her. “I guess I could see. But I’ll make sure the next one isn’t actually manned.”

“Why?” she asks, seeming to be genuinely curious. “The helicopters made it more fun.”

He stares, dumbfounded for a second, then laughs. “Sure, if that’s a thing you like.”

They don’t talk for much longer after that. Her parents are still awake and there’s the big possibility of getting caught so they say goodnight to each other and Mulder watches as she safely climbs back up to her window, silently promising to take her to that diner.

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 soon kidda.


End file.
